The ACE Team
ACE Directors
Professor Joseph Walsh
Professor Joseph Walsh is the Head of the School of STEM and Head of IMaR at Munster Technological University, Kerry. Prof. Walsh has a Ph.D. in Electronic Engineering from the University of Limerick and an M.Sc (Eng) in Bio‐engineering jointly from Trinity College Dublin (TCD), University College Dublin (UCD) and the University of Limerick (UL).
He has worked on national and international projects in both industry and research institutes and has received over €5 million in research funding over the past 10 years.
His research experience encompasses the field of intelligent mechatronics and sensors in dairy technology, intelligent sensor systems, robotics, automation, bio‐instrumentation, and microelectronic circuit test technology and is well-published in these areas.
Prof. Walsh is a corporate member of the Institute of Physics (MinstP), and the Institution of Engineers of Ireland (MIEI). He was been awarded the titles of Chartered Engineer and Chartered Physicist.
Professor Edmond Harty
Professor Edmond Harty is the former CEO and Technical Director of Dairymaster, one of the leading dairy innovation and technology companies in the world. While completing his Ph.D. at University College Dublin he developed a new method for the evaluation of milking units by measuring performance under flow conditions.
This research has resulted in the test methods being adopted into the international standards for performance measurement of machine milking and Dairymaster leads the way in these performance measurements. Prof Harty is regarded as one of the world’s pioneers in agricultural technology.
Professor Harty’s concentration is always on future possibilities, scientifically developed, and proven. The level of patent applications (over 90 so far) speaks to his commitment to innovation. He has an impressive track record of combining leading research with successful commercialization of the resulting intellectual property.
He is a member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Dairy Federation (IDF), the foremost scientific groups in milking globally. He has received many international awards for his research and is a former EY Entrepreneur of the Year.
The ACE Team
Dr. Sara Morrissey Tucker
ACE Centre Manager
Dr. Sara Morrissey Tucker is the Centre Manager for the AgriTech Centre of Excellence at Munster Technological University - Kerry. She is driven by projects with clear, practical applications and working with and for people to ensure the best and most effective user experience.
Sara graduated in 2004 with a BSc. (Hons) in Applied Computational Linguistics from Dublin City University. Passionate about research and assistive technology, Sara was awarded joint research and industry funding from IRCSET and IBM to undertake a PhD in Computing in the prestigious Machine Translation research group at Dublin City University.
A driven and responsible leader, during her role as a postdoctoral researcher in the SFI-funded Centre for Next Generation Localisation (now ADAPT Research Centre), Sara was frequently chosen and actively volunteered for various management roles including leading research groups, international research partnerships, academic and industry collaboration, chairing committees, writing grant applications, supervising postgraduate students and managing research projects.
Mike Casey
Training and Business Development Manager
Mike Casey is the Training and Business Development Manager for ACE. With 30 years of experience working for international companies across multiple departments in various roles within Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations Management, Quality, and Facilities Management.
Mike has previously co-chaired a European manufacturing council responsible for the implementation of best practices around a safe work environment, quality delivery of products, and compliance to operational requirements while maximizing efficiency and driving continuous improvements to maintain market competitiveness.
Mike’s aim is to work in collaboration with our ACE Business Partners, to support training and development within their business, through the up-skilling of team members with advanced innovative technology, resulting in improved metrics across their business for the future.
Dr. Geraldine Exton
Learning Technology Specialist
Dr. Geraldine Exton is the Learning Technology Specialist for the AgriTech Centre of Excellence at Munster Technological University – Kerry. Geraldine has worked in varied roles across the education sector, most recently as an Academic Developer advising Higher Education faculty on curriculum development, innovative assessments, and the use of technology in their teaching.
Geraldine originally graduated with a BA (Hons) in English and Politics from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. She went on to train as a teacher of English and English as a Second Language, teaching for a number of years to second-level students.
She moved to Ireland with her family, and in 2010 took them all to Belgium while she completed a first class Masters in Linguistics. Returning to Ireland, Geraldine taught English and French in a number of secondary schools in the Limerick area. Geraldine branched out with a Higher Diploma in Software Development at the University of Limerick, before merging her interests in education, languages, and computing in a Ph.D. from UL, focusing on the motivational affordances of gamification, in particular in its usefulness for language study.
Geraldine is particularly interested in encouraging the use of technology in all aspects of education, especially where it can enhance and improve the experience of the learner.
geraldine.exton@mtu.ie
Kevin Maye
Digital Media Specialist
Kevin is a highly experienced digital media specialist with over ten years of experience in the film industry in Ireland and the USA. He has worked on a diverse range of projects, including major TV adverts, short films, music videos, still photography, documentaries, and corporate videos. Kevin has a degree in Interactive Multimedia from MTU, Kerry (formerly IT Tralee), and a master's degree in Digital Film from NUI Galway.
Kevin is also a qualified drone pilot with over 5 years of experience working in the Agritech sector with companies such as McHales and Farm TV. Within the IMaR Research Centre and ACE, Kevin leads the technical and artistic development of digital content for a diverse range of projects and is presently focused on content development for immersive learning applications including the use of digital 3D scanning technologies.
Hans Moolman
AR/VR Specialist & Software Developer
Hans Moolman is the Virtual and Augmented Reality Specialist and Software Developer at the AgriTech Centre of Excellence at MTU, Kerry (formerly IT Tralee). Hans holds a B.Sc from MTU, Kerry (formerly IT Tralee) in Software Development, specialising in Games Development.
He also has an HNC and HND in Dental Technology. Hans has a wide breadth of experience working for national and multinational companies in various software development roles, ranging from website design and development to commercial app and system development. Hans is passionate about new technologies and how they can be applied as business solutions.
